A doomed uprising seen through experienced eyes--and an expert lens. Plus, a farewell to Alexandra Boulat

I've been to Burma only once, in the late 1980s, and the seemingly placid surface of that exquisite nation hid the passions of a people who yearned for freedom. It was one of the world's forgotten tragedies, until, that is, Burma forced itself back into global consciousness last month when vivid images of protesting Buddhist monks slipped past the restrictions imposed by the country's repressive military regime. We published two quick news stories, but we also planned a bigger take, sending Bangkok-based writer Andrew Marshall into the country.